Introduction Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), also known as Persian vegetable, red root vegetable, parrot vegetable, etc., belongs to the genus Spinacia of the Chenopodiaceae family, and is an annual herb. The plant can reach 1 meter in height, with a conical root that is red, less often white, and leaves that are halberd-shaped to ovate, bright green, with entire margins or a few tooth-like lobes. There are many types of spinach, which can be divided into two varieties according to the seed morphology: thorny species and thornless species.
Spinach is native to Iran and is widely cultivated in China. It is one of the most common vegetables. Nutritional value of spinach Spinach is known as the "nutritional model student". It is rich in carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, minerals (calcium, iron, etc.), coenzyme Q10 and other nutrients.
Spinach has the effects of laxative, clearing heat, regulating qi and nourishing blood. The nutritional value of spinach is that it is rich in vitamins A, C and minerals. Spinach can be cooked in the following ways: fried spinach, cold spinach, spinach porridge, roasted spinach, mutton spinach soup, fried spinach with eggs, fried spinach with mushrooms, spinach dumplings, spinach meatball soup, spinach soup, spicy spinach, pine nut spinach soup, spinach and egg soup, fried spinach with fish maw, spinach and tuna, spinach and pork liver soup, and spinach tofu. The efficacy and function of spinach Spinach is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and minerals, especially vitamin A and vitamin C, which are the highest among all vegetables. The content of human hematopoietic substance iron is also higher than other vegetables. It has special therapeutic effects on gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, gout, skin diseases, various neurological diseases and anemia. It also has a magical effect on alcohol detoxification and preventing alveolar pyorrhea. Regular consumption of spinach has the effects of laxative and heat-clearing, qi-regulating and blood-tonifying, disease prevention and anti-aging. It can play an auxiliary therapeutic role in various anemia and diabetes, tuberculosis, hypertension, wind-fire red eyes and many other diseases. Spinach is suitable for patients with hemorrhoids, blood in stool, habitual constipation, scurvy, hypertension, anemia, diabetes, night blindness and those with rough skin, allergies and loose skin. People with urinary tract stones, cold stomach and intestines, loose stools, weak spleen and stomach, weak kidney function, nephritis and kidney stones should not eat too much or avoid eating spinach. Side effects and contraindications of spinach People with urinary tract stones, cold stomach and intestines, loose stools, weak spleen and stomach, weak kidney function, nephritis and kidney stones should not eat too much or avoid eating it.
Food taboos
1. Spinach cannot be eaten with cucumber: Cucumber contains vitamin C-degrading enzyme, while spinach is rich in vitamin C, so the two should not be eaten together.
2. Spinach should not be eaten with foods high in calcium such as milk.
3. Spinach cannot be eaten with tofu: because spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid, while tofu contains calcium ions. Once the calcium in spinach and tofu are combined, it will cause stones and affect the absorption of calcium.
4. Spinach should not be fried with pork liver: Pork liver is rich in copper, iron and other metal elements. Once combined with spinach, which is high in vitamin C, the metal ions can easily oxidize the vitamin C and lose its nutritional value. Animal liver, egg yolk and soybeans are rich in iron and should not be eaten with spinach, which is high in oxalic acid. This is because both cellulose and oxalic acid will affect the body's absorption of iron in the above foods.
5. Spinach cannot be eaten with soybeans. If eaten with soybeans, it will inhibit the release of copper and lead to poor copper metabolism.
6. Spinach cannot be eaten with calcium tablets. Spinach is rich in oxalic acid. Oxalate ions easily form calcium oxalate precipitation after combining with calcium in the intestines, which not only hinders the body's absorption of calcium, but also easily forms stones. How to make delicious spinach Spinach recipe:
Stir-fried spinach <br /> Ingredients: 500g spinach, 7g salt, 2g MSG, 10g minced garlic, 50g cooked peanut oil.
practice:
1. Wash the spinach and cut into 5 cm long pieces;
2. Heat the pan, add spinach and stir-fry for a few times, add salt, peanut oil, and minced garlic, and stir-fry for another 3 minutes;
3. When the spinach is soft and tender with a little juice, add MSG, mix well, and serve;
Tip: Before cooking spinach, blanch it in boiling water to remove 80% of the oxalic acid, then stir-fry, mix or make soup.
Cold spinach salad <br /> Ingredients: 300g spinach, 50g soaked white fungus, chopped green onion, chopped ginger, vinegar, salt, sesame oil, MSG, minced garlic, appropriate amounts. Instructions:
1. Remove the old leaves of spinach, remove the roots, wash and cut into inch-long pieces. Remove the stems of Tremella fuciformis and tear into pieces for later use;
2. Mix vinegar, sesame oil, salt, MSG and garlic paste in a bowl to make marinade;
3. Take a pot, add water, bring to a boil, put in the spinach segments and cook for a while, remove from the pot, cool, squeeze out the water with your hands, put in a plate, add white fungus, scallion shreds, ginger shreds, pour in the seasoning sauce, mix well.
Spinach porridge <br /> Effects: nourishes blood and stops bleeding, astringes yin and moistens dryness, and promotes digestion. It is suitable for habitual constipation, hypertension and other symptoms. Patients with dry stools and hemorrhoid bleeding should take it regularly.
Ingredients: 250 grams each of spinach and japonica rice, appropriate amounts of salt and MSG.
Method: Wash the spinach, blanch it in boiling water and cut into sections; wash the polished rice, put it in an aluminum pot, add appropriate amount of water, and simmer until the polished rice is cooked. Put the spinach into the porridge and continue simmering until it becomes porridge, then turn off the heat; then add salt and MSG.
Braised spinach <br /> Ingredients: 300g spinach, 100g wheat flour, 5g soy sauce, 3g salt, 75g salad oil.
practice:
1. Break the spinach apart one by one, wash it with water, drain the water and put it in a basin;
2. Put the flour into a bowl, add warm water, soy sauce and refined salt, and stir with chopsticks into a paste, but don't stir too hard;
3. Place the wok on the fire, add salad oil and heat it to 70% hot. Dip the spinach into the batter one by one and put them into the wok. Fry until they turn red and yellow and crispy. Remove from the wok and place on a plate.
Lamb and spinach soup <br /> Effects: This soup nourishes qi and blood, strengthens the body, and is suitable for those who are thin, weak, or have insufficient qi and blood. Especially in winter, eating more can not only increase calories, resist wind and cold, nourish qi and blood, but also increase the body's resistance, make muscles fuller, and strengthen the body.
Ingredients: 150 grams cooked mutton, 250 grams spinach, 8 grams green onion, 8 grams ginger, 20 grams soy sauce, 10 grams sesame oil, 2 grams salt, 3 grams cornstarch.
practice:
1. Cut the mutton into small thin slices, pick and wash the spinach, cut it into 3 cm long pieces, and cut the green onion into thin strips;
2. When the soup is 70% boiled, add lamb, spinach, onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, add some starch, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.
Fried Eggs with Spinach <br /> Ingredients: 350g spinach, 2 eggs, 50g oil, 10g salt, chopped green onion and ginger as needed. Instructions:
1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add 2 grams of salt and mix well for later use; wash and cut the spinach into 3 cm long pieces;
2. Place the pot on the fire, add oil, pour in the eggs when hot, fry until cooked and set aside. Heat the remaining oil, add scallion and chopped ginger, stir-fry the rice and spinach with salt, then pour in the fried eggs and spinach and fry for a few more times.
Stir-fried mushrooms with spinach <br /> Effects: nourishes blood, nourishes yin and moistens dryness.
Ingredients: 25 grams of shiitake mushrooms, 250 grams of spinach, minced ginger, vegetable oil, and refined salt as appropriate.
practice:
1. Soak the mushrooms in warm water, remove the stems, wash, squeeze out the water, cut into thick slices, and reserve the mushroom juice for later use;
2. Remove the yellow leaves and roots of spinach, wash and cut into sections;
3. Heat oil in a wok, add chopped ginger and sauté until fragrant, pour in mushrooms and stir-fry, add spinach, salt and the original juice of mushrooms, and stir-fry until the flavors are absorbed.
Spinach dumplings <br /> Ingredients: 400g wheat flour, 250g lean pork, 1000g spinach, 5g salt, 1g MSG, 20g vegetable oil. Method:
1. Chop the fresh pork and set aside;
2. Rinse the spinach with clean water, blanch it in boiling water, remove it and drain the water;
3. Soak the spinach in cold water, take it out, squeeze out the water, and chop it into small pieces;
4. Mix the meat, spinach and seasonings, stir well and make meat filling;
5. Wrap an appropriate amount of meat filling in the dough to make dumplings. Then put them into boiling water and cook them. You can eat them after taking them out.
Spinach meatball soup <br /> Ingredients: 150g spinach, 150g lean pork, 3 tablespoons chopped green onion, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water starch, minced ginger, salt, sesame oil, chicken powder as appropriate.
practice:
1. Wash and pick the spinach, and cut it into 4 cm segments;
2. Chop the lean pork into a paste, add a little salt and soy sauce and stir in one direction, then add water starch, chopped green onion, chopped ginger, and sesame oil and continue to stir;
2. Add appropriate amount of water and chicken powder into the pot. After boiling, use low heat, put the prepared pork puree into small meatballs, cook thoroughly, add appropriate amount of salt to adjust the saltiness, and finally add the spinach segments and serve.
Spinach soup <br /> Ingredients: 120g spinach, 250g shrimp, 200g squid, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons starch, some salt, a little pepper.
practice:
1. Remove the roots of the spinach, wash it, blanch it in boiling water, and drain it;
2. Put the blanched spinach into a blender with 1 cup of water and blend;
3. Filter the mashed spinach juice to remove the residue and get the spinach juice for later use;
4. Remove the shells and mud intestines of the fresh shrimps, cut 1/3 of the back, and remove the shrimp thread; cut the abdomen of the squid to remove the internal organs, and use a knife to cut cross-shaped cuts on the inside. Be careful to cut to 2/3 of the thickness of the meat, do not cut it off, then cut into small pieces for later use, and beat the eggs for later use; put enough water in the pot, about 5 bowls, and boil it, then put in the shrimp and squid and cook until they are cooked;
5. Add spinach juice and egg liquid and bring to a boil. Stir the egg liquid until it becomes flocculent;
6. Dissolve the starch with a small amount of water and pour it into the soup to make it thick. Finally, season with salt and pepper.
Spicy Spinach <br /> Ingredients: 500g spinach, 5g salt, 25g sesame paste, 10g sugar, 15g chili oil, 10g pepper oil, a little MSG.
practice:
1. Remove the roots and yellow leaves of the spinach, wash it, blanch it in boiling water, take it out and cool it in cold water, squeeze out the water, cut it into small pieces, put it in a plate, add salt and sugar, mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Put sesame paste in a bowl, dilute with a little boiling water, then add chili oil, pepper oil and MSG, mix well and pour it on the marinated spinach before eating.
Pine nut spinach soup <br /> Ingredients: a handful of spinach, a spoonful of pine nuts, a spoonful of white sesame seeds, two spoonfuls of white sugar, a small chili pepper, a spoonful of salt, moderate amount of garlic and ginger, a spoonful of chicken essence, and a large spoonful of vinegar.
practice:
1. Wash the spinach and clean the roots;
2. Add a spoonful of salt to the water in the pot and cook the spinach until cooked;
3. Let the cooked spinach cool down in boiling water;
4. Crush the garlic with a knife, add a little salt, and crush it with a rolling pin;
5. Make it into a paste like this, garlic paste;
6. Chop the ginger into very small pieces;
7. Gently squeeze out the water from the cooled spinach, add chicken stock, salt, and minced ginger and start stirring;
8. Add the pine nuts and stir together;
9. Prepare the sauce, salt, chicken essence, sugar and vinegar;
10. Put the minced garlic at the bottom of an empty bowl;
11. Put the mixed spinach on top;
12. Turn the bowl over, and it will look like this, then garnish with some chili peppers;
13. Pour the sauce on it and sprinkle with white sesame seeds and it’s done.
Spinach and egg soup <br /> Ingredients: 150g spinach, 100g egg, 3g ginger, 5g green onion, 2g salt, 2g MSG, 10g peanut oil, 5g sesame oil, 5g pea starch
1. Wash and cut the spinach into sections, crack the eggs into a bowl, add refined salt and wet starch and mix well;
2. Add a small amount of oil to the pan, wipe it evenly with a clean towel, pour in the egg liquid, turn the pan, spread it into egg skin, take it out completely, and cut it into diamond-shaped slices;
3. Put a small amount of oil in the pot, add the scallion and ginger to stir-fry, add the clear soup and bring to a boil, add the spinach and egg skin, add salt and MSG, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve.
Fried fish maw with spinach <br /> Ingredients: white sugar, spinach, salad oil, peas, fish maw, green onions, ginger, starch, white sugar, cooking wine, water, pepper, pepper, sesame oil, salt Method:
1. Soak the dried fish belly in warm water, slice the carrots and ginger, peel and slice them; wash the spinach and set aside;
2. Heat oil in a pan, add spinach, salt and MSG, stir-fry for about 3 minutes, remove from heat and place on a plate;
3. Pour the oil into the pot and heat it up. Add the ginger slices, fish maw, and carrot slices and fry them. Add salt, MSG, sugar, and chicken broth and simmer for a while. Then thicken with wet cornstarch, pour in the cooked chicken oil, and pour it on the spinach.
Spinach Tuna <br /> Ingredients: 1/2 pound of spinach, 1 can of tuna in oil. Instructions:
1. Wash the spinach and break it into three sections;
2. After the water boils, blanch the spinach and take it out immediately;
3. Pour the oil from the canned tuna into the pot, and when it is 50% hot, add the spinach and tuna and stir-fry together;
4. Add a little salt to season.
Spinach and Pork Liver Soup <br /> Effects: This soup has the effect of generating blood, nourishing blood, moistening the intestines.
Ingredients: 200g pork liver, 250g spinach, appropriate amount of starch, 5g sesame oil, appropriate amount of salt, soy sauce, and MSG. Method:
1. Wash the pig liver, cut it into thin slices, and soak it with dry starch;
2. Wash the spinach and cut it into sections, splitting the roots into quarters;
3. Put the pot on high heat and add a large bowl of water. When the water boils, put the pork liver slices into the pot, add a little soy sauce and salt;
4. When the soup in the pot boils, add the spinach (first the stems and then the leaves). When it boils again, add appropriate amount of MSG and sesame oil.
Spinach and Tofu <br /> Ingredients: 500g spinach, 1 block of tofu, 20g mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sesame paste, 20ml bonito broth, a pinch of white sesame seeds. Instructions:
1. Place the tofu between two plates, press it, and refrigerate it for one day to allow excess water to drain out.
2. Put the refrigerated tofu into a blender, add sesame paste, bonito broth and mayonnaise, and blend until smooth into tofu paste;
3. After blanching the spinach, soak it in ice water to preserve its color and sweetness. Drain the spinach and cut it into equal length sections. Overlap them and slightly pinch them into a column shape with your hands. Sprinkle one side with white sesame seeds and place it upside down on the tofu sauce. Medicinal Value of Spinach It nourishes blood, stops bleeding, restrains yin, and moistens dryness. It is used to treat epistaxis, bloody stools, scurvy, thirst, and constipation. [12]
1. It helps in bowel movement and prevents hemorrhoids <br /> Spinach contains a large amount of plant crude fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis, facilitate defecation, and promote pancreatic secretion, helping digestion. It has a therapeutic effect on hemorrhoids, chronic pancreatitis, constipation, anal fissures and other diseases. [13]
2. Promote growth and development, enhance disease resistance <br /> The carotene contained in spinach is converted into vitamin A in the human body, which can maintain normal vision and the health of epithelial cells, increase the ability to prevent infectious diseases, and promote children's growth and development. [13]
3. Ensure nutrition and improve health <br /> Spinach is rich in carotene, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and a certain amount of iron, vitamin E, rutin, coenzyme Q10 and other beneficial ingredients, which can provide the human body with a variety of nutrients; the iron it contains has a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on iron deficiency anemia. [13]
4. Promote human metabolism and delay aging <br /> The fluorinated phenol, 6-hydroxymethylpterostilbene and trace elements in spinach can promote human metabolism and improve health. Eating a lot of spinach can reduce the risk of stroke. [13]
5. Cleans the skin and resists aging <br /> Spinach extract has the effect of promoting the proliferation of cultured cells, which is both anti-aging and youthful. Chinese people mash spinach to extract juice and wash their faces with it several times a week. Continuous use for a period of time can clean skin pores, reduce wrinkles and pigmentation spots, and keep the skin smooth. [13]
6. Blood tonic <br /> Spinach has higher protein quality than other vegetables and contains a considerable amount of chlorophyll. In particular, it contains the highest amount of vitamin K among leafy vegetables (mostly contained in the roots), and can be used as an auxiliary treatment for nosebleeds and intestinal bleeding. The reason why spinach can replenish blood is related to its rich carotenoids and ascorbic acid, both of which play an important role in health and blood tonic. |
